Enabling in Families

"This is a family disease," says Leaf, as he outlines why families are so important in the healing journey of someone with an addiction. In this episode of The Recovery Playbook, our co-hosts run out the clock discussing how families enable addiction, need treatment as a unit, and more.

"Even if an individual in active addiction doesn't get into treatment, that person's family could still be helped by family therapy," says Dr. Shorter. "It also can teach family members how to interact with their loved one in a way that doesn't continue the enabling."

Leaf shares moving stories about his father's and brother's response to his addiction and how the stigma surrounding it still impacts our decisions about how to respond to a loved one's addiction today.

 Our co-hosts also point out that it's not just biological families who can enable an addict's substance use disorder; even friends — a person's chosen family — can play a role in it as well.

Follow The Menninger Clinic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Recovery Playbook episodes with Ryan Leaf and Daryl Shorter, M.D. To submit a topic for discussion, email podcast@menninger.edu. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform!

Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.